Buffalo Bills release veteran running back Fred Jackson

Veteran running back and respected team leader Fred Jackson has been released by the Buffalo Bills.

With nine seasons in Buffalo, the 34-year-old Jackson had been the second-longest serving active player and one of the team's most popular players among fans.

"Today, we had to make the difficult decision to release Fred Jackson," Bills general manager Doug Whaley said in a statement. "He had an incredible career for this organization for the past 10 years.

"We thank Fred for his hard work, dedication and leadership during his tenure with the Buffalo Bills. Fred has inspired the city of Buffalo in a number of ways.

"Fred and his family have been dedicated to this community, and we can't thank them enough for their contributions through his career."

The move came as a slight surprise, though Jackson's tenure was in question because of his age and the team's moves to restock its running backs this offseason.

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The Bills acquired LeSean McCoy in a trade with Philadelphia and also selected hard-hitting rusher Karlos Williams in the draft. Buffalo's depth chart at running back also includes Boobie Dixon and Bryce Brown.

Jackson was one of 12 players cut on Monday, when all NFL teams had to reduce their roster to 75 players.

The Bills will save about $2.5m off their 2015 salary cap by releasing Jackson.

He was the Bills' leading rusher last season. In 14 games, including nine starts, he gained 525 yards on 141 carries and scored two touchdowns. He also led the team with 66 catches.

In 1,279 career rushing attempts for the Bills, Jackson gained 5,646 yards and scored 30 touchdowns.